Pneumatic controller for mechanical piano-players.



H. A. BIERCK.

PNEUMATIC CONTROLLER FOR MECHANICAL PIANO PLAYERS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-21.3911.

1,241,81 2. Patented Oct. 2,1917.

2 SH SETS-SHEET l- H. A. BlERC-K.

PNEUMATIC CONTROLLER run MECHANICAL PIANO PLAYERS.

APPLICATION FILED AIM-L21. I911.

Patented Oct. 2,1917.

2 SHEETS SIIEET 2 I I l 3 I I I I I Q F W5 2" n I I u l LIIII/IMAhIHIJnIIV II FIIIII LI l l m r Illll I I/.5... .HII THIHIIIIHII I III/ IIHIUIIII/ I/ I-II IIIII/ II II I I I I fl IIH NI I I I HI IHI I IIHl/ I I PIB IRAIFI AIIIII II i l"? I II II a! cal form embodying 1Fi. g r 1? asection on the line H UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Befit linownthat I,- Haaono A.Bnmon, a

Pennsylvania; hateinvented a new and use ful Pneumatic Gontroller for Mechanical PianoPlay'ers; of which the ecification.

' My invention consists of improved means in a player pianofor controlling power-actuatied exhausting-means to .be employed in connection with"foot-actuated exhausting means. p a t Itfurther consists'of other novel features of construction, all as will be hereinafter full set forth. p

' T e annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail one mechanithe invention, such detail construction being but one of various 'forms inwhichthe principle of the invention maybe used is-a front elevation of a selfembodying my-invenrepresents a section on line m-m-of g. '3 re resents a vertical section of a portion-of t e device embodying one form of my invention.

. 4 represents a section on line 31-11 of '5 re a sectional detail of a g i W an elevation of a portion 3 .1 v t o a fofthe pumpingelement in present use showrvoirs or receivers 4-arefam1 skilled in the art, as-is alsothe t, r as us al mth the t can on.

it: 1g. ;7,;eertain elements of r1 'e'j pomt of attachment of my. invenon the line 35 -2 g. 1- being S'repre'BBnts a section f similarnnmcrals of reierenceindicate corpa 1 inall' of the figures."

-". ferrmg to t e drawings,

3 1 desi ates the caseot an-instrumentem- ,bodying the featuresof a-well lmown e player iano, in which the keyboar 2, umping e ement foot treadles gland air resexhaust -ner.

following is a within the chamber 16, in 'Fi 1, beneath the port 'cham er 13 and the port 18 leading to the chamber 14. This valve has the'rein erent form from'that shown 111 having communication with through the ports 18 and 19, the chamber 16 chamber 21, and I have,

2 number of such fans. employed in 9 1st to those a single fan oiffrartafiarlrnm, rnm'rsvnvnma. mssreuoa, m: .mnsna igntsr cnne nnname cent-arr,

n. OOBFOQATIO NOI ramp tameeaim.

player mechanism, and having outlet-openin v 7, controlled by outwardly-opening va ves 6, the foot treadles 3 controllingthe exhaust in said. chamber, in the usual manthe exhaust chamber b suitable means, as screw 9, and having a p urality of ports'lQ registering with orts 11 in the adjacent wall of the chem er 5, as seen clearly in Fig. 8.'

12 isa partition in the conduit 8, as seen in Fig. 3, dividing the interior of said conduit into two chambers, an inlet chamber 13 and an outlet chamber 14. The former has communication by way of a port 15 with a chest or chamber 16 in the present instance the passage oi air it rough said port 15 beg controlled by a slide valve 17 slidable and in the form seen 15 leading to the aport valve is. moved to its will register with the and when in this position the" port be completely uncovered. When the valve'17 is'moved to its extreme position to ght as seen in Fig. 3, the

19, which, when the extremegleft position, port 15 18 will the ri port 15 will be entirel closed, but the port 19 in the valve wil partially register with the o -t 18, so that the chambers 14 and 16 W1 at all times be in communication with each other.

20 designates a suction conduit connecting the outlet chamber 14 with ablower 'chamber 21, see Figs. 1 and 2,-said conduit the conduit 8 and port 15.

22 designates the air inlet 'to the blower in the present instance, shown in connection therewith a per-i the function of forated plate or screen 23,

which is to mu e the sound by breaking up the column of air drawn into the blower. Thechamber'21 is adapted to receive the blower or fan,.24 for pro ucing the suction, and there may be "ll be ejirlderlrti any give the desired result in structure. here shown,

24 suitablymounted with a e-y 25 on'the shaftflfi for rotation therewith,the said shaft being driven by means of a motor 27, preferably operated by electricity. In connection with this motor, it will be noted that the terminal wires 28 lead to a pomt in close proximity to the operating mechanism of the instrument and are connected to a switch 29, by which the operation of the motor is controlled.

30 designates an outlet chamber located adjacent the blower chamber 21, and having communication therewith by way of the port 31 while discharge to the atmosphere takes place through the outlet port 32. Attention is directed to a screen 33 which I preferabl locate across the exhaust port 32 and whic serves a similar purpose to the screen 23, already described. The use of the screen structure over the inlet and outlet ports of the blower chamber is very important, since, as is well known, the noise of a blower is considerable, and I have found in practice that this simple device substantially eliminates the same and makes the use of a cumbersome muffler mechanism unnecessary.

In connection with the blower apparatus, just described, attention is directed to the fact that the same is preferably located beneath the floor 34 of the room in which the instrument is used, and connection is readily made by boring or drilling suitable holes in the floor for the passage of the conduit 20 and the connections 28.

Referring now to the means for shifting and regulating the position of the valve 17, it will be noted that a valve rod 35 is connected at one end with the valve 17, and at the other end to a lever 36 suitably pivoted at 37 and which terminates in an operating handle 38, located at a convenient point adjacent the key board. In the present instance, I show the handle 38 in close proxv imity to the usual handles 39 which control respectively, the feeding of the perforated sheet roll and the loud and soft effects as produced by actuation of the pedals of an ordinary instrument.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown a slightly different form and arrangement of parts from that shown in Fig. 3,.in that the conduit 20 opens into the chamber 16 throu h a port 40, which, as seen in Fig. 6, is of en stantially triangular shape, with its narrowest parttoward the port 19" in the valve 17, so that as the said valve is moved to the left the valve-port will gradually uncover a greater port-area. This valve 'l? controls communication between the conduits 20 and 8, through port 15", as will be "readily understood from Fig. 5.

A iano-player provided with the disclose invention may be played by footpower, byfoot-power with the motor-actuated exhaust as auxiliary, by motor-actuated exhaust, or by motor-actuated exhaust with the foot power driven exhaust as an auxiliar and the exhaust is at all times exerte in the one exhaust-chamber, whereby transitions from one form of exhaust to another, with accompanying volume and tension, will be accomplished smoothly and without shocks to the neumatics and, consequently, to the keys of the instrument whereb smooth performance, like that of the ski led human hands can be produced. As the power-driven exhaust is cut off by the valve when the foot-actuated exhaust is employed alone, there can be no leakage on that side of the exhaust-chamber, and there can be no leakage through the chamber, res.- ervoirs and pumps or bellows, when the power-actuated exhaust is employed, as increase of exhaustor part vacuum will assist in seating the outlet valves.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed for the mode herein explained. Change may therefore be made as regards the mechanism thus disclosed, PI'OV-ldBd the rinci les of construction set forth respectively in the following claims are employed.

Having thus' described my invention, wha I claim asnewand-desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I 1. In a device of the character stated, a blower chamber, an outlet chamber, a saction conduit connecting said chambers, an exhaust chamber, a conduit communicating with said exhaust chamber, a slide valve having a port controlling the commimication between the suction conduit and the conduit communicating with the exhaust chamber, the 'said outlet chamber having a port adapted to overlap the port in the slide valve when the latter is in, one of its extreme positions.

2. In a device of the character stated, a

- blower chamber, an exhaust chamber, a con duit communicating with the exhaust chamber, a partition in said conduit dividing the same into inlet'and-outlet chambers, a chamher having ports whereby it is in communication with both the inlet and outlet chambers, andia slide valve having a port for register with said ports and arranged to overlap one of said ports when the valve is in one of its extreme positions.

HAROLD A. BIERGK. Witnesses:

Ronnn'r M. BARR, G. D. MOVAY. 

